Jane Greenoff

[Chalet School Fan]

Really enjoying her show today - I'm normally at work when she is on. I am tempted by the Strawberry Sampler, but I could probably do my own version from my stash and her books and magazines. It would be more individual as well. Has anyone made one?

Listening to Jane I've realised I've been doing counted thread work for longer than she has. Does that make me an expert? I have done several classes with Darleen O'Steen, who wrote the original stitch book Jane talked about on the programme. From her I learned how to make the back of my work as neat as the front so I don't need to back my band samplers.

[Chalet School Fan]

57415742P

These are pictures of the front and back of a band sampler I made in 1992 (mostly while watching the Olympic Games from Barcelona).

[RozMinis]

Tiz lovely CSF. Very difficult to tell the front from the back. :)

I stitched one of her chatelaines, think it was last year. Would have loved to have done Hardanger across the entire piece, but there wasn't enough of the Oliver Twist threads for that, though I still did more than was s'posed to be on the design. Maybe I ought to take it to Harrogate in November and see if I can buy more from the Oliver Twist stand. They dye the felt she uses in many of her kits. Quite an unusual felt it is too, sort of knobbly rather than the smooth stuff we are normally used to. :)

Roz

[RozMinis]

Loved the show CSF, which was why I was late getting into town for the Needle & Natter group. Well for my toasted sarnie anyway. Have to eat before wwe do anything, especially since Phil started doing the toasted sarnies. Shhh, don't tell Dot, but I am only going to the patchwork thingie on Saturday so that I can have an extra toasted sarnie. :)

Anywhoooo, I digress. I haven't actually done the strawberry sampler, though I do have the kit, I also have the book that Sue Hawkins had a hand in designing as well. Sooo much to do, and no where enough time. I also bought one of the Hardanger needlework boxes, which I hope will be my second project in 2016. Haven't time before then as I have loads of C******** stuff to do between now and November, followed by two wedding ring pillows in Hardanger. Do you think I have a 'thing' about Hardanger, and is it something I should be worried about do you think?

I did complete the other book Jane designed, the flower one, which I believe was the first in the series. I must admit I enjoyed doing it, learned some new stitches, well the drawn thread stuff anyway. Aforementioned Hardanger, pulled work, blackwork and pattern darning I had done already. Not exactly 'keen' on the drawn thread, need more practice, especially with that square in the middle of the page. There is no way one can keep the back of that tidy. I also made a few errors on it, but nothing that couldn't be fudged around by reweaving other threads into it.

I had to laugh when she was saying today that there are some stitches she has to go and look up as she can't always remember how to do them. The four sided stitch I can do with my eyes closed, well very nearly. The Bitch Stitch (Queen Stitch) I can do without any problems, but the hem stitch..................... I know how as soon as I look at the destructions, but couldn't for the life of me say how it should be done without looking.

I began cross stitching round about 1984, give or take a bit. I know in 1986 I made a start on a 18th birthday sampler for a competition. The 18th birthday didn't happen until near the end of 1988, but sheesh, who's counting! Needless to say I didn't win, didn't even get an honourable mention, but who cares. :) One thing I did come across was DMC threads. Never heard of them before, could only buy Anchor round here, and only from Ashley Jackson's art shop at that. Bought most of them in Carlisle from a shop that is no longer there. :(

There was a competition in the same magazine the following year. This time I decided to use John Denver's story about Alfie, the Christmas tree who just didn't want to change the show. Ho hum, it nearly drove me up the wall, I lost count of the number of times I rewrote the thing on graph paper. I then decided that having discovered rayon and glittery threads I wasn't going to submit it. Only DMC threads were allowed you see. I followed that one up with T'was The Night Before Christmas, except that I omitted two lines from the poem, my Santa does NOT smoke.

Oh crumbs, think I've written my life story, you have probably all fallen asleep over it too. :)

Roz

[Chalet School Fan]

I began cross stitching as a child - made a gingham tray cloth for my Brownie Golden Bar badge and never stopped.
A school friend whose mother was Danish got me going on Eva Rosenstand designs when I was about 11. They were too expensive for me to buy, but she gave me small patterns she had completed and off cuts of material.
It was a trip to the States in 1980 that made me aware of a different style of cross stitch and I've been addicted to counted thread embroidery ever since.
I've been fortunate to have had some great classes with teachers like Jane Greenhoff which has improved my skills, so after over 50 years I feel capable of tackling most designs as well as producing my own unique bits of work.

[Jacksmissis]

OK you lot...............can't join in this thread - my Japenese and Hindustani aren't up to it LOL !!

[Jilly]

Loved the show CSF, which was why I was late getting into town for the Needle & Natter group. Well for my toasted sarnie anyway. Have to eat before wwe do anything, especially since Phil started doing the toasted sarnies. Shhh, don't tell Dot, but I am only going to the patchwork thingie on Saturday so that I can have an extra toasted sarnie. :)

Anywhoooo, I digress. I haven't actually done the strawberry sampler, though I do have the kit, I also have the book that Sue Hawkins had a hand in designing as well. Sooo much to do, and no where enough time. I also bought one of the Hardanger needlework boxes, which I hope will be my second project in 2016. Haven't time before then as I have loads of C******** stuff to do between now and November, followed by two wedding ring pillows in Hardanger. Do you think I have a 'thing' about Hardanger, and is it something I should be worried about do you think?

I did complete the other book Jane designed, the flower one, which I believe was the first in the series. I must admit I enjoyed doing it, learned some new stitches, well the drawn thread stuff anyway. Aforementioned Hardanger, pulled work, blackwork and pattern darning I had done already. Not exactly 'keen' on the drawn thread, need more practice, especially with that square in the middle of the page. There is no way one can keep the back of that tidy. I also made a few errors on it, but nothing that couldn't be fudged around by reweaving other threads into it.

I had to laugh when she was saying today that there are some stitches she has to go and look up as she can't always remember how to do them. The four sided stitch I can do with my eyes closed, well very nearly. The Bitch Stitch (Queen Stitch) I can do without any problems, but the hem stitch..................... I know how as soon as I look at the destructions, but couldn't for the life of me say how it should be done without looking.

I began cross stitching round about 1984, give or take a bit. I know in 1986 I made a start on a 18th birthday sampler for a competition. The 18th birthday didn't happen until near the end of 1988, but sheesh, who's counting! Needless to say I didn't win, didn't even get an honourable mention, but who cares. :) One thing I did come across was DMC threads. Never heard of them before, could only buy Anchor round here, and only from Ashley Jackson's art shop at that. Bought most of them in Carlisle from a shop that is no longer there. :(

There was a competition in the same magazine the following year. This time I decided to use John Denver's story about Alfie, the Christmas tree who just didn't want to change the show. Ho hum, it nearly drove me up the wall, I lost count of the number of times I rewrote the thing on graph paper. I then decided that having discovered rayon and glittery threads I wasn't going to submit it. Only DMC threads were allowed you see. I followed that one up with T'was The Night Before Christmas, except that I omitted two lines from the poem, my Santa does NOT smoke.

Oh crumbs, think I've written my life story, you have probably all fallen asleep over it too. :)

Roz

The book you refer to with Sue Hawkins - is that The Cross Stitch Guild Design and Pattern Book: With Over 50 Projects from the CSG Archive - which is available as CD Rom? It seems to be from her earlier magazines and as the Strawberry Sampler Book seems to have been originally charted over period of time in magazines I wondered if it was in this pattern book?

[Chalet School Fan]

Having watched the programme I had a rummage through my old CSG magazines and discovered I have the pattern for the strawberry sampler book. I've got lots of linen, silk and hand-dyed threads, so I will save my pennies and use up my existing stash to make it.
I bought a new bulb for my cross stitching lamp today, so I'm all set for stitching through those long autumn evenings on finer fabrics.

[Jilly]

Having watched the programme I had a rummage through my old CSG magazines and discovered I have the pattern for the strawberry sampler book. I've got lots of linen, silk and hand-dyed threads, so I will save my pennies and use up my existing stash to make it.
I bought a new bulb for my cross stitching lamp today, so I'm all set for stitching through those long autumn evenings on finer fabrics.

Lucky you. I'd hoped the book CD Rom I mentioned in the earlier post had it in but further searching has shown it is a Strawberry House sampler not the little book she now does as a kit! Although I started cross stitch back in 1993 as a means of 'forgetting' about my marriage break up I never subscribed to any cross stitch magazines. I shall have to keep my eyes open in the charity shops.

[Spendsloads]

I was introduced to needlepoint as a child in the 70s. I had a couple of aunts who were really into it and one of them bought me a small Penelope kit of a poodle when I was 5. It was really easy to do as the needle was nice and big and the colour was printed on the canvas, but needless to say, I wasn't very quick and didn't have a particularly long attention span at that age, so it took me till I was about 7 to complete! I have done a few more needlepoint kits since, but I only really enjoy doing the ones with varied stitches as I find the ones which are all tent stitch or cross stitch rather tedious.

I have fond memories of childhood being shown various stitches such as back stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch etc by my aunts and grandma. though not usually on odd scraps of fabric and normal Sylko sewing thread, though my mum, seeing my interest, did buy me the odd skein of stranded embroidery thread from time to time - not DMC or Anchor, but cheapo stuff at 6p a skein when she was at the local market buying fabric for her own projects - she was a brilliant dressmaker, but too busy to do any embroidery.

At primary school I did a few cross stitch projects on binca and large count aida but didn't do my first 'proper' cross stitch until I was a university student, having purchased the very first edition of Needlecraft, the now defunct sister publication to Cross Stitcher, around 1990 which came with a cross stitch card kit on the cover. That got me hooked and memories that particularly spring to mind are the pleasure I've had in stitching samplers for various family and friends who have married or had babies, moving down to London in the early 90s and having the opportunity to go to the very first Olympia stitching show and discovering Liberty around the same time where I purchased some of the very early (hand drawn) Jane Greenoff kits. I had a day off yesterday to go to a christening and managed to catch Jane's show before we needed to go out, which I really enjoyed. She is a lovely lady and always very happy to chat to customers at the shows.

More recently I've moved back to more traditional embroidery, but I still enjoy doing cross stitch from time to time.

[Chalet School Fan]

I had forgotten about Penelope kits unti you jogged my memory. I was given one of a Dutch painting for my birthday when I was about 8. It was only small, but took me ages to finish.
Did anyone else make Binca pencil cases at primary school using a variety of decorative stitches? We had sewing lessons in which we made those, appliqued cushions and gingham aprons. When I was doing some Craftivist activities with Y9 girls in their PHSE lessons last year I was amazed how many of them had no idea how to thread a needle or do hand sewing, even though they have textiles lessons where they use sewing machines. I think being able to use a needle is a life skill that everyone should have, just as important as literacy and numeracy IMHO for primary school pupils.

[Spendsloads]

I had forgotten about Penelope kits unti you jogged my memory. I was given one of a Dutch painting for my birthday when I was about 8. It was only small, but took me ages to finish.
Did anyone else make Binca pencil cases at primary school using a variety of decorative stitches? We had sewing lessons in which we made those, appliqued cushions and gingham aprons. When I was doing some Craftivist activities with Y9 girls in their PHSE lessons last year I was amazed how many of them had no idea how to thread a needle or do hand sewing, even though they have textiles lessons where they use sewing machines. I think being able to use a needle is a life skill that everyone should have, just as important as literacy and numeracy IMHO for primary school pupils.

We made the Binca pencil cases (1st year juniors, now Year 3) too - and the gingham aprons (Year 4), but not the cushions. I remember we had to choose what colour Binca to use and I chose orange, because the binca pieces were wider so I would have more embroidery space, while the boys went for yellow for the opposite reason! I still have my little pink apron somewhere.

I agree that basic sewing should be a life skill, but there isn't much interest any more when clothes are available so cheaply. I have colleagues at work who throw out otherwise perfectly good, sometimes almost new clothing just because the button has come off or the hem has come down and they don't know how to mend the garment!

[Lioness]

I dont remember doing any sewing in primary school, but certainly had to do some in secondary school. I think we alternated between needlework and cookery classes. In year 1 (now 7) we had to make a PE bag with our names embroidered on them, an apron and a pleated tennis skirt. All of these items were then used by us at school for PE or cookery. Amazingly several decades on I still have them - the PE bag is still used daily as I keep my clothes pegs in it and the apron comes out as and when required - the tennis skirt, however, is too small/tight/short ;)

Actually I suppose it was quite clever that they made us make items which we would then need to use at school. You had to finish things off properly as we then had to use/wear them.

[Chalet School Fan]

I'm amazed at people not sewing on buttons, but then I was brought up by the make do and mend generation who went through the War. When my son went to his senior school the school uniform shop offered a service sewing name labels onto the items you bought. I could understand overseas boarders' parents doing that, but I was surprised how many others thought that was a good use of their money because they didn't know how to do it.

[pyjama princess]

What a lovely thread! I've been enthralled reading about how your sewing skills have progressed as you've grown up. Thank you ladies.

[Chalet School Fan]

The only kind of Home Economics I did at my highly academic senior school was one term of dressmaking in the first year. The pattern we chose had to have a collar and pockets. I remember going to John Lewis in Oxford Street with my Mum to buy the pattern and fabric. We were expected to be competent needlewomen as we had to make children's clothes in our own time to be displayed on Founders Day every year which would be then sent to charities choose by each form.
We didn't do any cookery - the view was that we were intelligent young women who could read recipes and work out how to do that for ourselves. My Mum was a good cook and knitted and sewed most of her and my clothes as well as knitting my Dad and brother's jumpers, so I learned the basics at home, although I didn't get much practice until I had a home of my own.

[RozMinis]

The book you refer to with Sue Hawkins - is that The Cross Stitch Guild Design and Pattern Book: With Over 50 Projects from the CSG Archive - which is available as CD Rom? It seems to be from her earlier magazines and as the Strawberry Sampler Book seems to have been originally charted over period of time in magazines I wondered if it was in this pattern book?

Is this the one you mean https://www.thecrossstitchguild.com/products/the-csg-design-and-pattern-book.aspx it is in my Wish List on Jane's website. Actually you don't want to see what is on my Wish List, enough to keep me going a squillion years I reckon. :)

Tiz this one chuck https://www.thecrossstitchguild.com/products/the-csg-sampler-book.aspx the third in her set of books, well the third in the ones I bought anywhooo.

I want this https://www.thecrossstitchguild.com/products/persian-patterns-stitchers-accessories.aspx which was on the show yesterday. Seems to be good value when one considers how much there is in the kit.

Roz

[Spendsloads]

I also went to a very academic secondary school, so I didn't get to sew a single stitch after 11 either. We did learn 'Domestic Science', taught by a teacher who had been at the school for over 40 years. Our first year was called 'Housecraft' and consisted of washing the tea towels used by the older girls using grated soap (she didn't believe in Persil) and putting them through a mangle before drying them in a special cabinet. Now this was the 1980s, so none of us had ever seen a mangle in our lives! Second and third years were trusted to learn to cook then just about everyone gave up the subject at GCSE/O level.

[RozMinis]

Oh gosh yes, I remember Binca, really enjoyed needlework at school, except when on teacher insisted that I prove to her that I could sew a straight line using the sewing machine. I was about 11 at the time, and had to use paper as we couldn't be trusted with fabric. Disgusted? You bet I was. Meeee who had been using my grandma's old treadle machine for at least four years............. unrepeatable words here! My mum used to make my clothes, I sort of followed her lead. It took us an entire year to make a dirndl skirt, by which time none of them fitted as we had all grown.

I moved to a different school when I was 12, the first thing I had to make was an apron for our domestic science lessons, oh and we had to have a hat as well, and wear it properly - or else. I then made an underskirt, that didn't do a right lot for me. We had a new needlework teacher the following year, we were allowed to make virtually anything we wanted. One item was a skirt and V neck top, also made the blouse to go with it. A nightdress that I had to wear for parents night, blushes all round. Because the teacher knew I was interested she showed me all sorts of different techniques during my final year. Smocking and Italian Quilting were my favourites. The final item I stitched was a coat. in lime green with black buttons and black fringe on the scarf. My mother insisted on that particular fabric, left to me I would have bought something more suitable for everyday wear.

Needlework and cookery should be freely available in all schools. At least the maths involved would be of the practical side, which is what most of us use on a day to day basis. I haven't the foggiest what a logarithm is, or what one does with it, but at least I can work out the spacing between buttons on a garment, or work out how to work out the total amount of extra fruit I need to add to a Christmas cake after removing the candied peel and currants.

Roz

[RozMinis]

I also went to a very academic secondary school, so I didn't get to sew a single stitch after 11 either. We did learn 'Domestic Science', taught by a teacher who had been at the school for over 40 years. Our first year was called 'Housecraft' and consisted of washing the tea towels used by the older girls using grated soap (she didn't believe in Persil) and putting them through a mangle before drying them in a special cabinet. Now this was the 1980s, so none of us had ever seen a mangle in our lives! Second and third years were trusted to learn to cook then just about everyone gave up the subject at GCSE/O level.

My grandma had a mangle, also a dolly tub. She kept them behind the stone steps that led from the sitting room to the kitchen (old Victorian house) where the bogeyman lived. Well I believed in bogeymen anyway.

Roz

[Jilly]

Is this the one you mean https://www.thecrossstitchguild.com/products/the-csg-design-and-pattern-book.aspx it is in my Wish List on Jane's website. Actually you don't want to see what is on my Wish List, enough to keep me going a squillion years I reckon. :)

Tiz this one chuck https://www.thecrossstitchguild.com/products/the-csg-sampler-book.aspx the third in her set of books, well the third in the ones I bought anywhooo.

I want this https://www.thecrossstitchguild.com/products/persian-patterns-stitchers-accessories.aspx which was on the show yesterday. Seems to be good value when one considers how much there is in the kit.

Roz

Yes Roz thanks - it was the one you've said is third in her set of books. I managed to get a sight of the first few 'pages' on a site and the rose sampler is just that - a sampler - not the instructions to make the little book. I have plenty of threads and linen and can't justify £55 for the full kit - I feel that's a bit OTT.

[RozMinis]

Must admit I gulped a bit when I saw the price of them. Then thought sod it, I'll spend some of my compensation on them, all three of 'em in fact. I think the Hardanger box I bought at Harrogate was about £60, or would have been, but I got 10% off for being a member. Just as well as I parted with £180+ squid on Jane's stand, and another £300 or so on everything else. I think I arrived home with about a fiver, though I did have a hot chocolate and sarnie at Leeds station while we were waiting for the train, then managed to miss the thing. I've been saving £10 a week since last November, so will have another £500 to spend this year, much of it on Jane's stand again. :)

Roz

[Waterlily]

Beautiful work CSF.

This brought back memories lol. We did cross stitch on gingham at primary school too. Only did needlework in the first two years at secondary, made cookery aprons, PE bag and a blouse. Bit pointless making the cookery apron as most of us didn't use it after the second year.

In the third year we split up into domestic, commercial and academic so only the people in the domestic classes did cookery and needlework. In the fifth year there was also a nursing group.

Originally you started at the school in the third year but we were the first to go there at 11.